Rating: 
Summary: A New Birth of Freedom and its Cost
Review: On September 17, 1862, the Army of the Potomac commanded by General George B. McClellan met the Army of Northern Virgina commanded by Robert E. Lee in the fields near Sharpsburg, Maryland. The result was the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American History and a pivotal moment of the Civil War. The battle ended the Confederacy's first invasion of the North and gave President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.In his short study, "Crossroads of Freedom" Professor McPherson weaves together many strands in discussing the significance of the battle. First, he places the battle against the backdrop of the prior military course of the war, both in the Eastern and the Western Theatres. He points out how Union successes in the early part of 1862 were followed by serious defeats in the Seven Days Battle and Second Manassas with the tide of the war turning to the Confederacy. Although the South would again invade the North culminating in the Battle of Gettysberg, Antietam was a clear check to Southern momentum. It gave the Union the courage, will and political force to fight on. Second, Professor McPherson emphasizes the role of the European powers -- England and France -- in the Civil War. These nations followed events in America closely and were economically at risk from the loss of Southern cotton for their textile mills. They likely would have recognized the Confederacy if the results of the first invasion of the North had favored the Cofederacy. Third, and probably most importantly to his theme, Professor McPherson discusses the role of Antietam in the changing character of the Civil War. President Lincoln was opposed to slavery, but his initial war aims did not include freeing the slaves. Rather he wished to hold the Union together. As the War continued, Lincoln became convinced of the necessity of issuing an Emancipation Procamation but believed that he needed a military success to give the Proclamation force and credibility. The victory at Antietam, narrow as it was, and tremendous as was its human cost, gave him that opportunity. Emancipation was indeed a new birth of freedom. It also, as Professor McPherson points out, changed the character of the War from one with the aim of trying to persuade the South to come back to a state of total War -- which changed the character of a culture and redefined the nature of freedom in the United States. Professor McPherson's book is part of a series called "Pivotal Moments in American History" whose aim is "to encourage interest in problems of historical contingency." There was a great deal of chance involved in the Battle of Antietam, more so than in most military campaigns. (There were also military blunders on both sides.) During the course of the southern invasion the Union discovered by chance a copy of General Lee's "Special Order No. 179" which had been dropped in a field. Special Order No. 179 detalied Lee's disposition of his troops and gave General McClellan the opportunity to attack in series each detachment of Lee's divided army. This was crucial to the result at Antietam. But McClellan missed the opportuniity to win a decisive victory and bring an end to the War. Human error and chance play a great role in human events. But Professor McPherson might have done well to refer to Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address and compared Lincoln's reflections on the role of providence with the blind chance that led to the Union finding of Special Order No. 179. There is only a short description of the battle of Antietam itself. The focus of the study is putting the Battle in its historial and political context rather than in a detailed analysis of military moves. Nevertheless, I fouund Professor McPersons's description of the battle (as well as his descriptions of the Seven Days Battle and Second Manassas) easier to follow than more detailed studies I have read. Professor McPherson gives a good annotated bibliography which refers the reader interested in a military study of the battle to more detailed accounts. This is an excellent study of the Battle of Antietam which places it well in the context of the Civil War and which encourages the reader to reflect on the meaning of the War and of the nature of American freedom.
Rating: 
Summary: Thin disappointment
Review: This thin book, a disappointment, suffers from its title. I assumed that, when a book is entitled "Antietam, the battle that changed the course of the Civil War," that that is what the book would contain. Instead, it contains a general context of the Civil War itself, all of which you're read before by authors better and worse than McPherson; a summary of events that preceded and succeeded it, in quite a cursory way; and a discussion of how the war and the country was affected by the battle's results, which you can take or leave. The battle itself is described in 14 of the book's 156 pages of text, with very little detail or analysis. So, what do we get for the money? Well, you get the subhead: Crossroads of Freedom. In a self-serving "Editor's Note", chock full of buzzwords and indecipherable jargon from academia, you learn that Oxford is going to be presenting a whole series of these things - "Pivotal Moments in American History." One can imagine Oxford calling up McPherson and other Civil War writers. "The Civil War is pretty well played out, Jim, unless you guys can come up with a whole new can or worms." I guess they did and somebody opened it.
Rating:
Summary: Must read for historians
Review: James McPherson has again dug deep into the past to pull out sources and material for his latest work. Even though there is quite a bit of info about McClellan and others the main focus does stay with Antietam. He just gives an over view to better set the tone for the reader so one is not confused as to what occured on 17 September 1862. Very well done, easy to read and it's not filled with trivial detail that would bog down the average reader. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A small masterpiece
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read about the Civil War--it's amazing how much detail and drama McPherson fits into a small number of pages. He really shows why the battle of Antietam was a turning point of the war, not just in military terms but also because of its effect on politics and diplomacy. (Many people don't know it but before Antietam the South came close to being recognized by Britain, which probably would have forced the North to agree to a peace treaty.) The story follows well-known figures like Lincoln, Lee, and
McClellan, but also shows us men in the ranks. And the chapters on the fighting itself are as gripping as you'd expect from a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Civil War history.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as titled
Review: Regrettably seventy five percent of the book is not about Antietam. The book is more of a commentary on the noncourageous,insubordinate and borish General McClellan.
Rating: 
Summary: A good, but needlessly thin book
Review: McPherson's "Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam" is McPherson's assertion that the south lost the war at Sharpsburg, Maryland in the September of 1862. While an enjoyable read, the book is a bit on the thin side and it did not have to be. He does an excellent job of providing the reader with an examination of the larger politico-military situation running up to what was the bloodiest single day in American history. This is the book's main strength. By the time the reader actually reaches General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the north, one has a real feel for the true ebb and flow of the war. McPherson takes us to other theatres of operations, into politics of both the Northern and Southern governments (although, as is common with most Civil War works, the North gets the deeper examination), the politics within the Union Army, into the morale of the Northern and Southern people, and into the deliberations of the British and French governments regarding recognition of the South. The reader should almost feel Abraham's exasperation with his own constituents and the governments of Europe: after a string of major strategic successes, everyone seems to think that the war is on the verge of being lost because of Lee's string of tactical victories. NONE of the effects of the previous successes were overturned by Lee's victories, yet panic was rampant and many feared (or anticipated) the North's loss of the war. This is followed by the battle of Antietam itself. From an editor's perspective, this is the book's major failing. The book is a bit short, and it is in describing the battle itself that McPherson has made it short. While Antietam is hardly new ground, the book is about the battle and it's place as a pivotal moment in the course of the Civil War. McPherson discusses the battle just enough to demonstrate General George McClellan's tactical incompetence, and leaves it at that. The drama of the bloodiest day in American history is left undelivered. McPherson tells us that by failing to win this battle, the South essentially lost the war, but the struggle itself was merely summarized. If I were McPherson's editor, I would have sent it back and told him to split the battle into two chapters at least - one dealing with the discovery of Lee's Special Order, Harper's Ferry and the fighting at South Mountain, and the other with the battle itself. It would have done a lot for the book to deal with the battle in more detail. Following Antietam, McPherson returns to what is this strength - non-combat related material. He concludes his book by examining the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation with the same scope and attention he employed in his build up to the battle of Antietam. Here he concludes his thesis that the loss of Antietam cost the South the war, for it cost the South any hope of foreign intervention in the war. He also details the beginning of the war's transformation from a war to preserve the Union into a war to end slavery. Overall, I think the book is an enjoyable read, even for serious Civil War buffs. The wide scope McPherson employs in bringing the various social, political and military threads of 1862 together is the book's main strength, and coupled with a good writing style, that makes it a joy to read. I would like to give it four stars, but I cannot because of its cursory examination of the actual battle of Antietam. It is a major omission and one that would have been ridiculously simple to fill.
Rating: 
Summary: Concise history
Review: McPherson's "Crossroads to Freedom" is much different than the battle history by Sears in terms of length (it's short) and focus. Less than a quarter of the book describes the battle itself; the majority of it describes the context of the battle - the campaigns leading up to Antietam, Lincoln's behind-the-scenes strategies, the politics and public opinion in both North and South, the personalities, the deliberations in France and Europe as to whether or not to recognize the Confederacy, the Emancipation Proclamation, and why the battle was a turning point in the war. If primarily looking for battle maneuvers and strategies, "box scores" for the generals, and first-hand descriptions of the excitement and horrors of one of the bloodiest battles in American history, "Crossroads to Freedom" will at best whet the appetite. If looking for a concise and comprehensive look at the battle, "Crossroads to Freedom" is a good choice.
Rating:
Summary: Needs a different title
Review: After reading the book first and then reading the reviews, I have to agree that the book has it's good and bad points however I think that the title is a little misleading. I was expecting to read a book that would go into a little more detail regarding this bloody battle. I think I was past page 100 (Total story pages of 156) before Antietam was even mentioned. I did gain some insight regarding many of the social and political dramas that happened prior to the battle but when you read the title of the book, that is not what you are expecting to read about. If you are looking for a book about the battle, this is not the book to get. If you are interested in a lot of the things that were occurring, especially in England and France regarding their involvement, and whether or not they should recognize the Confederacy then perhaps this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: A Partial Treatment
Review: James McPherson's book on the battle of Antietam has its pluses and minuses. Its strength lies in its treatment of the political situation at the time the battle of Antietam was fought. I think he did an excellent job laying out the South's desire for recognition by European powers and how closely it came to acheiving it. He also reflected well the ups and downs of morale in the North and South leading up to the battle. His writing style is easy to follow and I found it difficult to put the book down.
This having been said it is the battle itself which is the weak point of the book. While this book does an excellent job laying out the political landscape, it does a poor job of actually describing the battle. Not because of poor writing or anything like that, it's simply a very short description of the battle. It basically stayed at the corps level and didn't delve much into the division or brigade level and certainly not much into the regimental level.
I think McPherson did well at trying to prove a thesis. His thesis is that the battle of Antietam layed at the crossroads of the Civil War, in which the momentum that had built for European recognition of the South was stopped and the Emancipation Proclamation finally had the proper political moment to be released. September of 1862 was the closest the South would ever come to that recognition and the Emancipation Proclamation would change the tenor of the war and swing the political momentum back to the side of the Union. In this sense then the battle was one, if not THE pivotal moment of the Civil War. I think he argued his thesis quite convincingly.
The only reason I gave this book three stars instead of four or even five was simply because I felt it fell short of adequately describing the battle of Antietam itself. This having been said, I would recommend it as a fine political and military overview leading up to the battle and after reading it would then turn to Stephen W. Sear's book "Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam" for an excellent military treatment of the battle itself.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, concise, and limited in scope
Review: Professor McPherson has written an excellent and concise book about the battle of Antietam, and more accurately a book about the context of this battle in the overall Civil War. Those history buffs wanting a detailed account of every troop movement, and an hour-by-hour account of each skirmish, should look elsewhere. If they want a fairly quick read, and a strong argument that Antietam formed a true turning point in the war as early as September 1862, then this is book is right on target.
McPherson has long been known as a historian interested in putting events in context. His excellent Battle Cry of Freedom, perhaps the best-known one volume account of the Civil War, doesn't get into the actual fighting until about page 300, and so McPherson's propensity to "set the stage" is characteristic of his writing. After pointing out in his preface to Crossroads of Freedom the bloody toll of Antietam (more soldiers died in one day at Antietam than on Sept. 11 2001 or on June 6 1944, by a wide margin), McPherson spends a good deal of time detailing the events and the mood of the country leading up to the Autumn of 1862.
After several military victories in the first part of 1862, many in the North (including several reputable newspapers) assumed the Confederacy was on its last legs, and that by July 4, 1862, the rebellion would fail. In particular, the loss of General Albert Sidney Johnston at Shiloh was demoralizing. Plus Union naval victories and the capture of various river cities and ports (like Nashville and New Orleans) isolated much of the Confederacy.
However, McClellan's inertia and then his humbling defeat in the Seven Days Battle, followed by Pope's disastrous defeat at Second Manassas, changed all that. Coupled with some other victories in the South and West, by the summer of 1862 things were looking up for the South. Lincoln and Halleck could not coax McClellan to attack Lee with the Army of the Potomac, the public lost confidence in the army's leaders, and leaders of Parliament in England, as well as Napolean III in France, began to openly discuss recognition of Jefferson Davis' regime as a legitimate government. They waited on one more decisive Confederate victory, and Robert E. Lee marched into Maryland in Sept. 1862 (flush with victory from whipping Pope) to deliver a fight in the Union's backyard.
Antietam was a truly fascinating battle, with Lee gambling and defying conventional wisdom once again by splitting his army in 4 parts in the face of a superior foe (he was confident the tentative McClellan would not attack him piece-meal). The famous discovery of Lee's battle orders wrapped around a few cigars is explored here, and McPherson expresses amazement at the puzzling delay by McClellan in siezing the initiative and attacking Lee's disjointed army upon learning of the deployments. As another reviewer notes here, this book often-times excoriates McClellan, and it is sometimes hard to believe in retrospect Little Mac escaped court-martial for his interminal delays, his refusal to obey direct orders to attack, and his petty refusal to come to the aid of Pope at Second Manassas. In fact this book points out that in the summer of 1862, many (including some in Lincoln's Cabinet) thought McClellan should be court-martialed and even shot, but ultimately Lincoln knew the only hope to bring his great army to battle after Pope's defeat was to once again reluctantly elevate McClellan.
Ultimately McClellan drove Lee from Maryland, and inflicted tremendous casualties, leading Mac to later consider this battle his greatest achievement. His superiors were not as enthralled, upset at him for not bringing in his reserves (he never had 20,000 troops in action at any one time, despite having about 70,000 troops at his disposal) and for not pursuing Lee's beaten army and possibly bringing a quick end to the war. By letting Lee escape back over the Potomac, the Army of Northern Virginia would live to fight another day, and to make life generally miserable for Lincoln in early 1863 at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.
However the Union victory at Antietam did enable Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, and it pretty much put an end to serious discussions of recognition of the CSA government by European powers. When one considers the stakes of the battle, and the immediate ramifications once the one-day bloodfest was over, it is tough to argue with McPherson's thesis that the battle was the true turning point of the war, and a "crossroads of freedom."
I enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book, and believe it covered the subject matter in McPherson's typical excellent fashion. He uses extensive sources including newspaper editorials, private letters from McClellan to his wife as well as his telegraphs to and from Lincoln, and diary entries of people like Gideon Wells, etc. Highly recommended.
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